Bomb Gaza and 6 Other Mobile Games Banned by App Stores

Mideast conflict just the latest inspiration for hard-core software

The Israel-Palestine conflict is playing out in app stores with games like Bomb Gaza being used as a new kind of information warfare. In fact, Google started pulling apps from its Play store that it found unsuitable for its mobile platform.

This week, Bomb Gaza, Gaza Assault and Whack the Hamas were banned. And it’s not the first time real conflict caused virtual ramifications. In past wars, Apple removed an app called Third Intifada, a hub for pro-Palestinian information that Israeli officials said incited violence.

Even with Bomb Gaza and the other games removed from the Play store, there are still titles inspired by the Mideast conflict. There are games based on Israel’s Iron Dome defense, which has been successful during the latest fighting in limiting damage from rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.

Another whack-a-mole style game disappeared today—Hamas a Mole, which was similar to Whack the Hamas where terrorists pop out of holes in the ground and need to be bashed back down.

Games that cause outrage have been a staple of mobile apps since Apple launched its iPhone software store in 2008. Apple is tight about regulating content in its App Store while Google has fewer restrictions on the types of games and products it allows. Still, they both have cracked down on offending games.